Managing media and public consultation for East West Rail

Barley has been providing strategic communications support to East West Railway Company (EWR Co) since 2020. This has included a strong focus on community and stakeholder engagement, public consultation, media and digital communications – all delivered using our IMPACT model to ensure we’re supporting EWR Co’s strategic and programme objectives.

We have provided support to EWR Co though three public consultations – in 2021, 2024-2025 and 2026 – as well as a major Route Update Announcement in 2023. Our work through these key project communications milestones has measurably improved community engagement, media sentiment and public perception to uphold the case for the project and the reputation of EWR Co as they move towards submitting an application for a Development Consent Order.

Results

For their public consultation in 2021, which took place during Covid, Barley held leading roles in developing consultation materials, hosting online events, media relations and event management. Working alongside Aecom, we developed a consultation strategy that deployed new digital technologies, navigating the organisation and its technical experts through lockdown restrictions and its first and only digital public consultation. There were 9000+ responses and 140,000 matters raised during the consultation  – the highest response rate and awareness of any of EWR Co’s three public consultations.

Our strategic media support significantly improved media sentiment, leading to an uplift in positive sentiment in EWR coverage since 2021, which was particularly important for the Route Update Announcement in May 2023. That month saw a year-on-year transformation in terms of media sentiment, with an 82% reduction in negative media coverage and a 93% increase in positive coverage. Our strategy helped to facilitate open and meaningful dialogue with local journalists.

At the Route Update Announcement, we developed a media strategy, provided media training for the CEO and other media spokespeople, drafted reactive lines to take, undertook reviews of technical documents and developed key materials, such as website and video content, which included visual animations explaining complex issues as well as community vox pops. We also devised and delivered four launch plans for each major area along the EWR route, which helped secure local media coverage that reflected our carefully crafted strategic messages relevant to their local area.

We provided strategic communications advice for the non-statutory consultation in 2024 – 2025 at the highest levels of the business and offered guidance around lessons learned from previous consultation. For the 2026 consultation, we focused in on supporting land and property related engagement to ensure sensitive stakeholders were engaged with empathy, clarity and transparency, to build trust and minimise risks to the programme and developed four booklets for different areas along the route.

Barley’s strategic communications support has led to the smooth delivery of public consultations and improved stakeholder and public perceptions of the EWR project.